1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to body jewelry and body piercing in general, and more particularly to body jewelry incorporating a vibrational motor giving the body jewelry device vibrating capabilities.
2. Preliminary Discussion
Body piercing has been practiced in various cultures or religions for centuries. A variety of reasons for piercing one's body have been theorized, such as being a sign of bravery, part of a religious ceremony, as a right of passage of affiliation, for sexual enhancement, or simply as a sign of non-conformity or for decorative or ornamental purposes. In modern society, until recently, except for ear piercing in females, body piercing was considered a fringe activity. However, in recent years body piercing has become more accepted and mainstream, possibly due to the availability of safer and more hygienic piercing techniques and hypoallergenic jewelry. In addition, many musicians, members of the fashion world, movie stars and other celebrities now have piercings, which also contributed to the increased popularity of such practice by making it appear more fashionable and trendy. Multiple piercings have also become much more common. For example, it is not unusual today for females to have several piercings in the earlobe and rim of the ear. Belly button and eyebrow piercing is also quite common, and piercing has also become much more common in males. Other less common but still typically pierced areas may include the tongue, side of the nostrils, or even the nasal septum. Piercing of the nipples, tongue or sex organs is also practiced by some, mainly for sexual stimulation or pleasure.
3. Description of Related Art
As body piercing has increased in popularity, so have the number of different styles and designs of body jewelry to be inserted in such pierced areas. Such jewelry may be simply ornamental, but increasingly is augmented with one or more additional functional characteristics or features. Until recently, the concept of a small jewelry item worn on a pierced area of the body and having a vibrating capability apparently was not known, or at least was not technologically practical, primarily due to the large size of available motors and batteries. Recently, however, the present inventor has become aware of several recent patent disclosures directed to vibrating body jewelry devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,815 issued to J. D. Klearman et al. on May 7, 2002, entitled “ENERGIZED BODY JEWELRY,” discloses several alternative embodiments of a vibrating jewelry device to be worn on pierced areas such as the tongue. The reference numerals in the following refer to the references in the Klearman et al. patent to facilitate review thereof, but can be ignored if a copy of such reference is not immediately available. In one embodiment of Klearman, the device includes housing 13, post 18, and retainer ball 20, with a battery 22 and electromagnetic motor 24 having an eccentric rotor 44 enclosed in the housing 13. Housing 13 is closed on its ends by threaded end caps 14 and 16, having slots 30 and 32 for insertion of a screwdriver-type implement to facilitate turning of the cap on the threads. The negative end of battery 22 is facing motor 24 so that the negative terminal presses against negative body contact 36, held in place by shim 34, and also contacts negative motor lead wire 38 leading to motor 24. End cap 14 contacts the positive end of the battery 22 when threaded into the housing 13, while positive motor lead wire 40 extends from motor 24 through post 18, ending at positive contact 56. When retainer ball 20 is threaded to post 18, positive motor lead wire 40 contacts positive contact 56 in ball 20, thereby completing the circuit and activating the motor. Therefore, retainer ball 20 serves as the activation or actuating means for the device. In one alternative embodiment, a second battery is provided in the retainer ball, while in another alternative embodiment both batteries are provided in the retainer ball. Klearman et al. also teaches that the motor may be powered by an external power source provided in a necklace, as well as an elastic band that can be wrapped around the device to secure such device to the tongue of a user not having a pierced tongue. The use of a secondary post extending through the tongue with the device resting on the upper surface of the tongue is also disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,649 issued to E. A. Klein on Jul. 16, 2002, entitled “Erotic Stimulation Device,” also teaches several embodiments of a vibrating jewelry device, one of which is a battery powered electric vibrator that can be attached to the user's tongue. In one embodiment, a motor housing 11 and a battery holder 12 are connected by a post 18. Vibrator motor 14, which motor is of a type wherein the vibration is generated by the spinning of an unbalanced weight or armature 15, is secured in motor housing 11, while battery 13 is contained in battery holder 12, with its ground terminal in electrical contact with such holder. Insulator pad 21 is situated in holder 12 on the end nearest the post 18, and insulated conductor core 22 in post 18 conducts electricity from the battery non-ground terminal to the motor. Post 18 acts as the actuating means for the motor, so that power is provided to the motor when the electrical contacts in post 18 contact the battery and motor contacts, so that slightly unscrewing post 18 causes the power to be turned off. The vibration motor used by Klein is of a type developed for use in silent pagers and has a length of approximately 10 mm, with an eccentric weight adding 4 mm to the total length, and a diameter of about 5.5 mm, and preferably is less than 20 mm in length and 8 mm in width or diameter. In an alternative embodiment, a snap socket and tab arrangement is used to hold the vibrator housing and battery holder together on the same end of post 18, with a retaining ball 26 situated on the opposite end of the post. In such embodiment, battery 13 rests against battery contact 30 on the inside of housing 11b, so that in essence the connection between the post 18 and vibrator housing is direct, rather than indirect as in the previous embodiment. In yet another embodiment, the vibrator housing is securable to the front or tip of the tongue mostly by suction in a reduced pressure device but also by friction ribs 34.
U.S. Patent Application 2001/0047664 filed by J. T. Andrews et al. and published on Dec. 6, 2001, entitled “Vibrating, Body-Piercing Jewelry,” teaches another body jewelry device that can be worn on various parts of the body, including a pierced tongue. Such item is generally comprised of a housing, post, and retaining member, with a vibrating motor unit and battery secured in the housing. In one embodiment, housing 20 is comprised of two similarly sized sections 30 and 32 which are threadably secured together, with a rubber O-ring used to prevent leakage between the threads in a normal manner, with second section 32 threadably secured to post 22, and with retaining ball 24 secured on the opposite end of the post. As best shown in FIG. 2 of Andrews, vibrating motor 40 is positioned on top of battery 34 in the housing, with cushioned barrier 44 positioned between the motor and battery. An aperture in barrier 44 is provided for receiving positive node 52 of the motor unit 40. Threaded post 26 acts as the actuator for activating the vibrating motor unit 40, so that when post 26 is turned inwardly on the threads into housing 20, battery 34 is urged upwardly and presses against positive node 52 of motor unit 40, extending through the aperture in barrier 44, creating a contact and allowing current to pass from the battery to the motor. In another embodiment, retaining ball 24 is replaced by a clasp which is used to hold other items, such as dangling chains, rings, and the like, while in a third embodiment a clamping device is provided so that the jewelry item can be attached to non-pierced surfaces of the body. Andrews also contemplates that the jewelry can be disposable, and that the device can be actuated by tightening the threads of the housing.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0041159 filed by D. J. Kapling, Jr. and published on Apr. 11, 2002, entitled “Tongue Jewelry With Electrically Energizable Component,” discloses a tongue jewelry item comprised of a housing having an electrically energizable cap 121 holding at least one illuminating element, preferably a light emitting diode (“LED”). Underneath the translucent top housing portion 134 is a post housing portion 136 in which batteries 129 and 132 are secured. Such housing is integrally connected to post 116, which is threadably secured to cap 118. FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein the electrically energizable component includes a vibrator and not an LED.
While each of the above references generally teach a vibratory body jewelry device, various problems are associated with use of each of such devices. Such problems include moisture leakage between the threads of the housing, an unacceptably short battery life and therefore short motor run time, and the large size and clumsy shape of the housings necessitated by the types of batteries and motors used. Leakage of moisture such as saliva into the housing between the threads of the housing might occur if there is a lot of play or room between the threads or if the housing sections are not securely tightened together. However, if the housings were made smaller, it would be extremely difficult to properly manually align and then tighten the threads due to the small size of the device, which makes the housing sections hard to manually grip and rotate. Moisture leakage into the housing is extremely undesirable because it may cause damage to the internal motor and battery, or cause the device to short circuit. In addition, it is desirable to prevent any materials inside the housing from leaking into the mouth of the wearer, which obviously could be a health hazard. Therefore, there is a need for a suitable means to facilitate tightening of the threads of the sections of the housings to ensure that the device is moisture tight, and preferably which would not require any notching or the like in the outer surface of the housing which might irritate the mouth of a user or acquaintance.
Another drawback found in one or more of the disclosed prior art devices is that the cylindrical vibrating motors utilized vibrate too fast or strongly so that they are uncomfortable in the mouth of the user. The shape of the cylindrical housings, which is essentially necessitated by the use of such configured motors, also contributes to the uncomfortableness of such prior art devices in the mouth of the user, which housing are also large and bulky. In addition, while some of such prior art devices may provide adequate vibration power for a short time period, such power rapidly diminishes over time so that the power is adequate only for a short time when the battery is new. There is also therefore a need for an improved motor assembly wherein the vibrational power remains constant for a longer operational period or run time without any noticeable loss of vibration speed. In addition, in known devices the means for establishing a contact between the battery or power source and motor is such that often proper contact cannot be reliably established, so that the motor will not always activate properly. There is also therefore a need for an improved contact means between the motor and battery in such assemblies.
The present inventor has conceived of several ingenious improvements that are not anticipated by the prior art. One such improvement is the provision of a detachable gripping member which grips the outer surface of the cap portion of the jewelry casing so that such cap can be more easily threaded to the main body portion of the casing. The use of a gripping member also allows the threads to have a much tighter tolerance than would otherwise be possible, further decreasing the chances of leakage between the threads occurring. The gripping member can be in several forms, but preferably is comprised of a handle portion and a cap gripping portion which is contoured to fit tightly around or frictionally grip the sides of the cap portion of the casing, so that it can be used to secure the casing cap more tightly to the main body of the casing.
The present inventor has also conceived of an arrangement for increasing the run or operational time of the vibrating motor. In such arrangement, a battery having flatter discharge characteristics than other similar batteries is used. Such battery is preferably, although not necessarily, used in combination with a motor that has been modified so that its resistance has been slightly increased. As a result, the vibrating motor is slowed slightly, but not so much that the slowing is noticeable to a user. In fact, it has been found that the physiological detection of vibration in the tongue in particular is not as acute as it is, for example, in the fingers so that the wearer of a vibrating jewelry item in the tongue is not aware of a significant decrease in speed or vibrations per minute or second allowing vibrational speed or vibrations per time period to be exchanged for longer vibrational periods. In addition, a battery, preferably a silver oxide Energizer® brand battery, which are known to be capable of maintaining a constant power factor for longer periods than other batteries, is used so that the motor can maintain a constant vibration speed for a longer time period than previously available with barely any noticeable change in vibrational effect by the user. The increased resistance significantly increases the life span of the battery, yet the speed of the vibrating motor is not decreased to a readily or physiologically noticeable degree. The present inventor has also provided, in one embodiment, a unique and improved electrical contact arrangement wherein a contact is situated in the top of the casing so that the battery can be placed in an inverted position with respect to the motor, which allows the casing to have a more comfortable and pleasing shape. In addition, a dimpled dome switch arrangement is provided on the top of the motor to facilitate contact with the battery, therefore ensuring that a reliable contact between the motor and battery is established. It has been found that due to the small size of both the battery and the vibrating motor or motor for the vibrator it is peculiarly difficult to obtain good electrical contact between the battery and the motor and the present inventor has found a very simple yet elegant and effective way to improve such contact in an environment where contact between the motor and the battery must be regularly made and broken, unlike the usual environments for which such small vibrating motors and small flat batteries are primarily manufactured. Also provided is an improved means for securing the device to an unpierced tongue or other body part.
Overall, the foregoing improvements result in a more reliable body jewelry device not only having a longer operational life but also having a more comfortable reduced size and weight but which can still be easily handled or manipulated. In another embodiment, the device may be provided with casings in one or more sizes so that more than one battery or a single larger battery can alternatively be used with the device. Other arrangements, such as the provision of a novel external power source so that the device can be used as a vibrating wand, arrangements for packaging the jewelry device, and other related embodiments further increase the versatility of the present device.